By Sopani Ng’ambi
The Senior Resident Magistrate Court in Mzimba has sentenced a 30-year-old Gladwel Ngwata to 21 years imprisonment with hard labour for defiling a 9-year-old girl in the district.
Mzimba Police station Deputy Public Relations Officer, Sub inspector John Nyirongo, has confirmed the news to 247 Malawi News.
According to Nyirongo, Ngwata was once sentenced to 9 year jail term in 2020 for a similar offence.
He was however released after serving 2 years in prison because his file did not go for confirmation to the High Court within the stipulated 12 months.
In court, on the fresh count, Ngwata pleaded not guilty to the charge, prompting the state to parade six witnesses who testified beyond reasonable doubts.
The state through prosecutor Sub Inspector Henrry Mkweche told the court, presided over by Mathews Msiska, that on January 7, 2021 the victim went for morning classes together with her friend.
When they knocked off, they started picking mangoes in a certain maize field.
Ngwata came and started chasing the victim until he dragged her into the nearby bush where he defiled her.
The victim’s friend ran away upon seeing how Ngwata was chasing her friend.
The victim reported the matter to her mother who lodged the complaint at Mzimba Police Station and she was issued with medical report form for examination and medication at Mzimba District Hospital.
At the hospital, the victim was confirmed to have been carnally known.
Having satisfied with the state’s evidence, the court found him guilty.
In mitigation, the accused pleaded mercy stating his family obligations.
The state prosecutor in submission told the court that the convict once committed a similar offence, the victim has been traumatized by his action and that defilement cases are rampant in the district, hence the convict be given meaningful sentence to deter others.
Giving sentence, magistrate Msiska concurred with the state’s submission that the convict is not the first offender and he slapped him with a 21 year custodial sentence.
Ngwata hails from Mtambalika Moyo Village, Traditional Authority Mmbelwa in Mzimba.
